Along with environmental damage, waste is polluting the Payra River
Waste from Amtali town in Barguna is being illicitly discharged into the Burishwar River or Payra River er. As a result, in addition to environmental damage, the river is being polluted. This is significantly impacting fish reproduction and production. The locals are extremely fed up with the stench of garbage.
All the people living there, including women and children, are at risk of health problems. Locals’ express frustration that, despite spending hundreds of crores of taka on municipal development over the past 30 years, no waste treatment plant has been built. The municipal authorities have promised to stop dumping waste in the river and to build a waste treatment plant.
It is known that Amtoli Municipality was established on August 23, 1998. In 2015, it was upgraded to a first-class municipality. More than 33,000 people live in this municipality with an area of about 7.75 square kilometers. An average of about 16 tons of waste is generated daily.
A pile of waste on the banks of the Payra River in Amtoli, Barguna. Sanitation workers are dumping garbage near the Payra River, next to the Bangladesh Water Development Board’s office compound in Amtoli. All the waste from the city is being dumped in this river. Meanwhile, crows, chickens, and dogs are scurrying around in it.
The waste is being washed away by the river current. The locals are fed up with the stench of waste in the open. Again, the locals are suffering from various diseases due to using the water of this river. This is not only polluting the environment, but also polluting the river. The reproduction and production of all species of fish, including Hilsa, is being disrupted. Similarly, garbage is being dumped in the nearby Basugi Canal.
Polythene, chips, and biscuit shells are floating in the canal water. Various types of clinical waste, including syringes used in hospitals and glass bottles, have been seen there. The municipal authorities have piled up garbage along the eastern side of the agricultural road in Ward No. 6, in the Sat Dhara area, Khontakata, Sabujbagh, and near AK School in Amtali town, due to a lack of a dumping station. This issue is evident not only in the Payra and Basughi canals.
Residents claim that since being designated a first-class municipality by the Awami League government in 2015, local authorities have failed to establish a proper waste disposal site.
Despite spending hundreds of crores of taka on municipal development, past representatives have failed to establish a designated garbage disposal area. They allege that the municipal authorities have not built a waste treatment plant due to irresponsibility alone.
Calling on the government to protect the Payra River, Md. Monirul Islam from Amtali said that the absence of a waste treatment plant in the municipality is causing everything to be dumped into the river. This not only pollutes the environment, but also pollutes the Payra River.
As a result, the abundance of fish in the river has decreased. People on the banks of this river are not able to use this water. I have demanded that the government quickly build a waste treatment plant for the municipality to save the Payra River.
Regarding the pollution of the Payra River, local resident and environmental activist HM Russell said that the municipality is 26 years old. During this time, the previous authorities have not been able to build a waste treatment plant. All the waste from this municipality is being brought to and dumped on the banks of the Payra River.
Waste is contaminating the river, leading to waterborne diseases in the local population and harming fish resources. Many people used to visit Amtoli every afternoon, but that has stopped now due to the bad smell.
Deputy Director Animesh Biswas stated that each municipality must establish its own waste management center according to government guidelines. In this case, except for Barguna Sadar, there are none in other municipalities.
“We will soon take the initiative to establish the municipality’s own waste management center by purchasing or acquiring land for the establishment of a waste management center in accordance with government policies,” he assured.
